Shoe-closure.



men/.s

E. P. HORMEL.

SHOE CLOSURE. APPLICATION FILED MAAR. 2t. 1911.

1, Patnted Deo. 4,1917.

ntwoonin Heemst, or sumarse, NEBRASKA.

p snee-crosuan Specification of Letters Patent.

i Patented peca, fait.,

Application filed March 21, 1917. Serial No. 156,387'.

To all whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, ELwooD P. HonMEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Surprise, in thecounty of Butler and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ShoefClos-ures; and I do hereby declarefthe following to be a full,` clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains tomake and fuse the same.

This invention relates to improvements `in `shoe closures.

j The object of this invention is the provision of a shoe closure especially adapted and constructed to be applied to shoes so that the use of laces, eyelets orother lacing `meansmay be eliminated. v

.AA further ob'ect of `his invention is the provision of a closure of novel construction, especially adapted to be lapplied to the upper of a shoe `of any constructionand is so arrangedl thereon asto draw ythemeeting edges of the upper in toward one another yfastening the shoe `to the foot of the wearer.

A further objectV of this invention is the rprovision of ashoeclosure which'embodies in lits construction, a pair of members, each formed of a single piece of metal having a hinged attaching end, `which attaching end is secured to the `upper of the shoe adjacent the meeting edges thereof, one of the members provided with spaced longitudinally extendingkey-hole openings, whilethe opposite member is providedwith a stud to removably fit within the key-hole openings .for holding the shoe upper closed about the `foot of the wearer, and the member carrying the key-hole openings 1s provided on its side edges withlongiltudinally extending right angularly arranged side flanges, which are adapted to engage the opposite side longitudinal edges ofthe otherfmember holding l the same against lateral shifting movement when in fastened position.7 f

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a shoe closure of this char- "acter, which will be simple, durableand eilicient, and which may be manufactured and soldat a comparatively low cost.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds,- the invention consists of Ynovel combination and arrangement of parte hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the claims hereto appended.

i In the drawing: j Figure l is a front elevation illustrating my improved closure applied "to a fragment of an 'upper of an ordinary shoe,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the members,

Fig. t 1s a perspective view of the other member.

which is adapted to be secured to the upper 4of thev shoe adjacent the meeting edges thereof.

t The member 3 comprisesrin its construction, the relatively long narrow rectangular body 5, which is provided at one end with a turn-back portion 6, constituting a hinged barrel.

Anl attaching member 7 comprises a semicircular body which has one end extended to provide a hinged barrel 8, which cooperates with the hinged barrel 6 of the member 3 and is adapted to be hingedly connected thereto by a pin 8', which extends transversely through the barrels 6 and 8 connecting the member 7 to one end of the member 3.

The attaching member `7 is provided on its periphery with the spaced outwardly extending fastening prongs 9, which are j adaptedto be embedded in the upper of the shoe for positioning the member Son the outer side thereof so that thesame may extend beyond the edge of the upper of the shoe. j

The body 5 is provided on its upper side adjacent its free end centrally of its side longitudinal edges with the vertical stud l0, which has anenlarg'ed head 11 which head 4extends laterally beyond pla-ne of the and 16 of the members 3 ,downwardly and embedded in the upper of stud 10, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The member 4 comprises in its construction a relatively long rectangular body 12, which has its opposite side longitudinal edges bent downwardly atV right angles thereto to define guide flanges 13; one end" of the body `12,*i's reduced and bent back upon itself to provide a hingedbarrel 14, which is adapted to coperato with the barrel 15 of the attaching member 16, whichV attaching member 16 is identical in" construction with the'attaching member 7 of the member 3.

The barrel 15 is hingedly connected to the barrel 14 by a transversely extending pin 17, which is arranged through the barrels 14 and 15, hingedly connecting the member 16 with the member 4. r

The member 16 is provided on its periphery with the spaced outwardly extending fastening prongs 18, which are adapted to be embedded in the upper of the shoe positioning the member 4 on the exterior thereof so that it will extend beyond the edge of the upper of the shoe and in the direction ofthe member 3.

The body 12 of the member'4 is provided with the spaced longitudinally extending lkey-hole openings 19, which have their enlarged 4portions 20 extending in the direction of the attaching members 16, thus it can be seen that when the member 4 is arranged over the member 3, the stud may be inserted in the enlarged portions 20 of the key-hole openings 19 and forcing said pin back into the constricted portions locating the head Von the upper surface of the body 12,'thus securely holding the shoeabout the foot `of `the wearer.

The body portions and attaching members of each of the members 3 and 4 are formed of any suitable metal, suitablenfor the -purbarrel, which coperates with the reduced portions of the attaching members which have a hinged barrel, hingedly connecting the attaching members to 4their body portion.

The attaching prongs of the members 7 and 4 are bent the shoe as at 21, the member 3 is located on the left side and the. member 4 is located on the right sidev of the upper of the shoe, the member 3 is then extended transversely across the meeting edges of, the upper, the

member 4 is adapted to be bent downwardly at lts hinged point and embraced overf'the member 3, thus positioning the body 5 ofthe member 3 inwardly between the side flanges 13 of the member 4, locating the stud in the constricted portions of theopenings 19, and

the device is assembled on the foot of the wearer and held against displacement therefrom, it being understood that the flanges 13 prevent lateral or vertical movement of the member 3 Vin eitherdirection.

What is claimed is: H1. A shoe closure comprising a pair of lmembers having rectangular body portions,

edges bent downwardly at right 'angles thereto providing guide langes,"saidbody provided with longitudinallyV extending spaced key-hole openings, one end voffsaid body being reduced and bent back upon itself to' provide a hinged barrel," an attaching member, spaced prongs lformed -on the periphery of said attachingmemb'er, one end of 'said attaching member reduced and bent back upon itself to provide a barrel hingedly connecting it to the barrel of the body, the

other `of said members provided on its upper side adjacent one end and centrally of its side longitudinal edges with'a stud having an enlarged head, one end'of said Ybody bent back upon itself to provide'a hingedbarrel, an attaching member hingedly connected to the barrel and providedfon its periphery with spaced attaching prongs, said stud adapted to be detachably fitted within one of the key-hole openings of the body of the other memberand locating its body between the guide flanges of said member preventing laterally shifting movement ofthe members with relation to one another.

bers for embracing the other ofsaid'mem` bers` for holding the same against lateral shifting movement, andmeans carried' by one of saidmembers and 'detachably coilnected to the other ofsaidmembers for hold- 3. A shoeclosure comprising apair of Ving the members detachablyjconnected'together, saidprongs on the attaching'plates adapted to be embedded in a support, as and for the purpose specified.

4. A shoe closure comprising a pair'of members each consisting ofa rectang'gular` body portion, attaching plates, saidattaching plates being-hingedly connected to `one end of the body of each of themembers,

' prongs, said prongs formed on the* periphery of each of the attaching plates at a relatively spaced distance apart to facili* tate the embedding of the attaching plates to the upper of the shoe7 `studs formed on the upper side of one of the body portions,

the sides of the member to be adjustably connected together for fastening the shoe about the ankle or foot of the wearer.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ELWOOD P. HORMEL.

Witnesses:

J. A. TALKINGTON, O. L. CRIMBLrss.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. C. 

